Collegium Intermarium

REKRUTACJA

STENO INSTITUTE FAITH AND SCIENCE

Since at least the mid-19th century, we have seen enormous progress in various fields of natural science. Scientific progress has undoubtedly provided mankind with many helpful inventions and enabled us to understand how the world works. Unfortunately, we also see that sometimes there is a belief that all humanity’s problems can be solved through scientific research, that science can save man and give him immortality. Modern atheists even claim that with the development of scientific knowledge, belief in religious dogmas has become impossible. In this context, we want to recall the role of philosophy and theology. It is philosophy at the level of natural reason that provides us with knowledge about how to lead a good life and what happiness is. Theology, in turn, gives us answers to the ultimate questions: Who is God? Where did the world and man come from? How to achieve salvation and eternal life? Natural sciences cannot provide answers to these most important questions from which no human being can escape. Therefore, as part of the „Faith and Science” program, we want to convince our students that faith is not unreasonable and not outdated. We want to show the limits of scientific knowledge and the need for other, also non-empirical, forms of knowledge. We recognize that true science never contradicts faith and faith that is not fideism does not contradict science. We want to share our belief that even today it is worth exploring the wisdom of ancient philosophers and Christian classics in order to understand ourselves, others and the world. True science needs faith, and a believer cannot be deaf to the discoveries of science. We recognize as Saint. John Paul II that faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit soars towards the contemplation of truth. The „Faith and Science” program is aimed at the contemplation of truth, both religious and natural.

  1. Classic metaphysics. The basis for understanding reality in the wisdom aspect is entering the issues of classical, i.e. Aristotelian-Thomistic, metaphysics. Studying metaphysics frees the mind from excessive pragmatism and opens it to understanding and not just knowledge of reality. It allows you to explore the secrets of ancient wisdom and the philosophical foundations of the Christian faith. This path of synthesis of faith and reason was chosen by St. Thomas Aquinas, whom many popes considered the greatest thinker of Christianity. With the help of Saint Thomas, we want to teach correct thinking about God, the world and man.
  2. Does the Bible contradict science? Our goal is to explore the relationship between faith and science at the level of supernatural revelation on the one hand and the best cosmological theories on the other. We are looking for a true synthesis of these two sources of knowledge. We want to renew Catholic protology (the doctrine of origins) without falling into easy naturalism or ideological fideism.
  3. The theory of evolution and the theory of intelligent design. We are not afraid to tackle topics that arouse emotions. We try to look wherever we can find grains of truth. The basis of our approach to the issue of evolutionism and intelligent design is listening to both sides, confronting arguments and drawing logically correct conclusions.

Dr Michał Chaberek OP

Director of the Steno Faith and Science Institute

 

Michał Chaberek (born 1980) is a Dominican, doctor of fundamental theology (UKSW 2012). In 2012-18 he lived in the USA, where he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Discovery Institute in Seattle and was a chaplain at Thomas Aquinas College in California. He is the author of several books, translations and several dozen scientific articles in the field of the relationship between faith and science, Thomistic philosophy, intelligent design and Catholic science of creation. He published, among others, in Do Rzeczy, Christianitas, Teologia Polityczna, Fronda, Polonia Christiana, Collectanea Theologica.

RESEARCH PROJECTS

  • Classic metaphysics. An English-language educational program addressed to Central European students, the aim of which is to build a community of values ​​and a network of experts using the common language of classical philosophy. We believe that the basis for understanding reality in the wisdom aspect is to enter into the issues of classical, i.e. Aristotelian-Thomistic, metaphysics. Studying metaphysics frees the mind from excessive pragmatism and opens it to understanding, not just knowledge of reality.
  • Does the Bible contradict science? A research program engaging theologians and representatives of science and technical studies from Europe and the USA in scientific dialogue. The program promotes the dialogue of faith and science, and will result in an international textbook and an international course combining the perspectives of faith and science in the spirit of Fides et Ratio.
  • Theory of evolution and intelligent design theory. A series of debates between world-famous specialists, supporters of the theory of evolution, theistic evolutionism, and the theory of intelligent design. The debates are intended to be an exercise in scientific freedom, a confirmation of the declared belief in the superiority of scientific debate over the affirmation of established thinking patterns.